This invention relates generally to the field of aprons or bibs used to protect clothing from being soiled or stained during eating or other activities, and especially to such aprons or bibs designed for infants or small children, and the invention simultaneously relates to the field of protective covers for chairs, high chairs and the like to protect the furniture from being soiled or stained and to prevent direct contact between the chair and the user. In terms of function, the invention is designed to prevent an infant or young child from being able to contact the chair itself with his or her hands or mouth while sitting in the chair.
It is common practice for restaurants to provide high chairs or toddler chairs to patrons bringing infants or small children in to dine. High chairs typically provide a tray mounted onto the chair, the chair having a vertical strap or bar disposed beneath the tray at the front of the seat to define a pair of leg-receiving holes to prevent the infant from sliding forward out of the chair. A toddler chair is typically a tray-less wooden structure having a flat seat, four vertical posts at each corner and four horizontal rails positioned atop the vertical posts to define a rectangular frame for restraint of the toddler, the front of the seat possibly having a vertical member to define the leg-receiving holes. Since these chairs are property of the restaurant, they are used successively by many different infants and children. Parents are typically conscientious in preventing soiling and staining of the infant""s or child""s clothing by utilizing a bib, but the chair itself is exposed during the eating process. Often the restaurant staff is lax in cleaning and sanitizing the chair in between uses, meaning that the infant or child is exposed to any unremoved food residue, saliva, vomit, urine, excrement, germs, viruses, etc., remaining on the chair after use by a previous occupant, either through touching the exposed chair surfaces with their hands or placing their mouths directly onto the chair. Typically, cleaning is attempted simply by wiping down the chair surfaces with a rag, a technique which is highly ineffective in removing germs. In addition to the prior user problem, it is common practice to invert a toddler chair so that an infant carrier can be placed between the leg rails, meaning that the horizontal rails forming the top of the toddler chair are placed directly on the floor. The restaurant staff will often simply invert the toddler chair back to its normal position after such use without cleaning the rails or seat area at all.
To address the sanitation problem, a parent bringing an infant or toddler to a restaurant must either bring in their own high chair or toddler chair, or attempt to sanitize the chair using cleaning material brought from home, both very inconvenient solutions. Thus, a conscientious parent using one of the restaurant chairs for the infant or toddler must constantly monitor the child to insure that the child is not touching or mouthing the possibly unsanitary portions of the chair.
A review of prior art does not reveal any devices designed to act in a manner which prevents the child from being able to touch or mouth the exposed portions of a high chair or toddler chair. The prior art falls into either the category of devices, such as aprons or bibs, used to prevent soiling or staining of the child""s clothing, or cover devices used to cover the tray portion of the high chair, or combinations of the two. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,362,465 to Carner shows a vest-like bib having an attached forward pocket which is placed onto the tray. U.S. Pat. No. 2,457,725 to Rhowmine and U.S. Pat. No. 2,738,511 to Brady show similar devices with a standard bib, i.e., a chest covering member tied about the child""s neck, connected to a tray covering pocket. U.S. Pat. No. 2,532,932 to Neiswander shows a combination tray cover and bib with sleeves. U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,530 to Hager shows a combination bib and tray cover which also acts as a disposable garbage bag. U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,781 to Spindler and U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,923 to Marks show bibs which attach to the rear of the tray. U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,238 to Wolfson is an example of a specialized apron which is attached about an invalid""s waist. U.S. Pat. No. 2,420,916 to Sorge shows a protective shield which encircles the wearer""s neck and can be used to cover the shoulders or to encase the head. Of course, it is well-known in the furniture art to provide fitted slip covers which completely encase a chair, sofa, table or the like, but these must be customized and form-fitted to a particular chair. Other than the full slip covers, none of the prior art devices act to prevent an infant or child from directly contacting the upper exposed parts of the high chair or toddler chair with the hands or mouth. Bibs and aprons do not provide a sanitary barrier between the child and the chair. Tray covers do not cover the seat, arms, back and other exposed surfaces of the chair. The use of full slip covers for this purpose is both an impractical solution, in that chair sizes and designs may vary and provision must be made for properly locating the leg-receiving holes on different chairs, and a non-optimal solution, since a slip cover structure creates a pocket or receptacle area in the seat which would entrap all spilled material, causing the child""s clothing to be even more likely to be soiled or stained.
It is an object of this invention therefore, to provide a combination apron and chair cover device for a high chair or toddler chair, where the device acts as a barrier preventing direct contact between the child""s hands and mouth and the chair, so that the child cannot come into contact with germs, food residues, etc., which may be present on the chair. It is an object to provide such a device which covers the tray, arms, seat back and all other surfaces within reach of the child. It is a object to provide such a device which also acts as an apron to prevent dropped or spilled food or liquids from soiling or staining the child""s clothes. It is an object to provide such a device which is convenient and simple in application and use, which is disposable or readily cleanable, and which is usable with any high chair or toddler chair. It is an object to provide such a device which is securable about the torso of the child between the waist and armpits of the child, and which preferably has means to secure the device to or about the chair such that the child cannot remove the cover from portions of the chair. These objects expressly set forth, as well as other objects which will become apparent after review of the full disclosure, are supported by the following disclosure.
The invention comprises in general a sanitary or protective cover for a high chair or toddler chair, the purpose of the device being to cover the exposed portions of the chair to prevent the child occupying the chair from being able to touch or contact the chair surfaces with the hands or mouth. Furthermore, the invention is a combination apron, cape or bib-like device which simultaneously protects the child""s clothing from food or liquid spills, where the device encircles the child""s torso between the waist and armpits in a relatively snug manner.
The invention comprises a main body formed as an expanse of cloth, plastic or similar material dimensioned such that the outer perimeter edge or edges will drape over the sides of the chair, and over the tray as well if one is attached to the chair, such that the outer edge or edges extend well below the upper surfaces of the chair. The outer edge or edges may define a circular, oval, polygonal, cross-like or other configuration. A generally centralized torso opening defined by an interior edge of preferably circular shape is provided of sufficient size to allow the device to encircle a child""s torso. Cinching means, such as for example drawstrings, elastic members, hook and loop fasteners, etc., are provided such that the torso opening can be drawn tight about the child""s body.
Preferably, securing means are provided to temporarily attach the outer edge or edges of the main body to each other or to the lower portions of the chair, and may comprise straps, mechanical fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, drawstrings, elastic members, etc., such that the child cannot pull up the outer edge or edges to expose the upper portions of the chair.
In an alternative embodiment, a seat member is provided in the device to cover the seat of the chair, the seat member being connected to and depending from the torso opening and having one or two openings to receive the legs of the child therethrough.